Chapter 18: Keeping

Her hands were tied, her mouth was stuffed with something, and she was held in his arms, looking miserable.

Bai Yuqing looked at her deeply, and only breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that she had no external injuries. He quickly put her down, took the thing out of her mouth, and threw it aside.

"Bai Yuqing." Jiang Jinyue was finally able to speak. Looking at Bai Yuqing who was untying him, he felt very aggrieved. "You know what? He just picked up a piece of rag and stuffed it into my mouth."

Jiang Jinyue tilted his head and kept saying “Pooh, pooh, pooh”.

I feel sick inside.

Bai Yuqing untied the rope for her before looking at her.

A pair of hands subconsciously rubbed the place where he was tied, "When we get out, I'll take you to rinse your mouth, okay?"

His voice was soft and his hands were gentle.

Jiang Jinyue tried to ignore the touch on his wrist and asked, "When can we go out?"

"We can get out eventually, trust me." Bai Yuqing asked again, "How did you fall?"

"The man was exhausted later, so I hit him in the eye with force. Then I ran back, intending to find you, but I fell in."

"Puchi." Bai Yuqing laughed out loud. The sense of crisis he had just felt was gone when he saw her.

Even though the two of them were in deep trouble now, he felt that it was okay, fortunately she was still by his side, so he was sure that she would not get hurt.

"How did you attack him when your hands were tied?"

"That's it." Jiang Jinyue wanted to demonstrate to him.

She put her wrists together, pretending to be tied, and formed a circle, which was then tied directly around his neck from head down.

In an instant, the distance between the two people was shortened to the limit.

The two faces almost collided.

Only then did she realize how ambiguous this action was.

For the first time, the two people's breathing was so close.

So close, I didn't know how to react.

So close that I even forgot to let go subconsciously.

They just tilted their heads.

In such a dangerous space, the sudden silence made the atmosphere even more ambiguous.

"Are you cold?" Bai Yuqing was the first to break the silence.

“A little.”

"Oh." Originally, Jiang Jinyue's hand was just around his neck. After hearing this, Bai Yuqing couldn't bear it anymore and took the initiative to hug her.

Different from the hugs during the day, this hug does not feel suffocating but warm.

There is only the dependence of leaning on each other.

"Thank you." Bai Yuqing buried his head in her shoulder, his voice unclear.

At this moment, it is obvious who needs this hug.

"What are you thanking me for? I helped you save...the girl you like?"

After saying this, Jiang Jinyue's heart beat so fast that he couldn't control himself.

She was waiting for his answer.

"Huh? What?" Bai Yuqing chuckled, "You misunderstood. This is not the girl I like."

"Oh." Then who do you like?

Jiang Jinyue didn't ask.

It seems like there is no topic again.

Jiang Jinyue never knew that being with him could be so awkward.

In the past, he was the one who spoke first, but now, he was like a male ghost that sucked human essence, silent and just hugged her.

Jiang Jinyue racked his brains and came up with another topic, "You don't have to pay me back. You've done so much for me, I should give it to you."

"I can't use that much. You gave me too much."

"How much money do you need?"

"I don't need it. I can earn it myself."

"Don't you need money?"

"Of course I don't need it." Bai Yuqing let go of her.

Jiang Jinyue also let go of his hand.

Bai Yuqing looked at her again before sitting next to her.

The two men leaned against the pile of dirt, arm to arm.

Bai Yuqing said, "I have to take the college entrance examination this year. I don't have a dormitory, so I have to rent a house. The tuition for university will also be a huge expense."

"Then why don't you take my money?"

"You're giving too much, Miss." Bai Yuqing said with a smile, "I used to work part-time to pay for my studies, so I know the market price."

Jiang Jinyue lowered his head and buried it in his knees. "I know the market price, but here, you are a scarce labor force, so you can charge a higher price."

Bai Yuqing looked at her, trying hard to convince herself to accept the money, "If I really accepted the money, wouldn't you think I'm too greedy?"

"No." Jiang Jinyue answered quickly, "But I used to think you loved money so much because your father couldn't be saved."

Bai Yuqing narrowed his eyes and smiled, looking at Jiang Jinyue, "No, even if I had money, I wouldn't rescue him."

"??? Why?" Jiang Jinyue was stunned. How could such a kind person like him be like this? "What kind of bullshit rule is this in your village?"

"no."

Jiang Jinyue was still waiting for his next words, but he stopped here and didn't say anything for a long time.

Then the air fell silent again.

Just when Jiang Jinyue thought he would never say anything more, he finally said, "If my dad recovers, he'll go find my mom. I don't want him to go."

"Why?"

"My mother was trafficked here. She finally escaped and should have her own life. She shouldn't be disturbed by the people here anymore."

Jiang Jinyue didn't know how to describe how she felt when she heard these words.

Are you shocked?

Is it panic?

Are you scared?

Are you heartbroken?

She wanted to ask: "Does the people here include you?"

But she didn't ask.

She had lost all ability to speak at this moment.

"You heard what your sister and I said. I want to be nice to one person, and that's my mother."

"My mom told me that before she was trafficked here, she was a very powerful lady with a lot of people waiting on her. I think she's probably like you."

"She has a hard time here..." Bai Yuqing didn't finish his words. After adapting to the darkness, he could clearly see the tears accumulating in the girl's eyes.

"Why are you crying?"

His heart ached, and he knelt there, gently holding her face. "What's wrong? I didn't even tell her how hard her life was, why are you crying?"

Jiang Jinyue bit her lower lip, trying hard not to cry. She held the man's arm tightly. After a long while, she finally spoke, but only three words -

"I feel sorry for you."

——"Why are you crying?"

——"I feel sorry for you"

As these words came out, Jiang Jinyue's tears finally fell.

Bai Yuqing's heart was shaken. She sighed softly and wiped her tears gently.

"When did your mother leave?"

“When I was 8.”

"and you…"

"I grew up pretty well, didn't I? I'm tall, good at studying, and kind. I'm pretty good, right?"

Jiang Jinyue didn't expect someone to describe him like this. He felt both sad and funny.

He had no mother and lived in a place where people ate each other, but he was like a tenacious sapling that grew into a thriving tree.

She suddenly realized why she liked watching him work, because of his vigorous and leisurely vitality.

In this environment, he was not hysterical and crazy, nor did he have evil thoughts of self-degradation. He was like a warm sun in winter. He was... so good.

"Your mother must be very nice..."

"Yeah." Bai Yuqing nodded with a smile on his face. "She's very good. She's smart, kind, and tenacious. She suffered a lot here, but she tried hard to protect herself and escape from here. She was the one who told me: I have to grow up seriously. She said she..."

Having said this, he stopped abruptly.

Then he said, "That bathroom is where she told me how people in the city take a bath. Village people are all dirty, but she required me to take a bath every day, and that cultivated this habit in me."

"When I was little, I followed the villagers to play tricks and peeked at others taking a bath. She beat me and broke a stick. I never dared to do it again."

“Serves you right!”

"You're not crying anymore?"

After hearing so much from him, Jiang Jinyue had unknowingly come out of her sadness.

"She is so nice." Jiang Jinyue said sincerely.

"Well, it's a pity that I've grown up to be what she wanted me to be, but I can't repay her." Bai Yuqing also understood at this moment why Jiang Jinyue was angry. "I'm not nice to you because of others, but because of my mother. I think if she were here, I would treat her well and serve her well."

"So you think of me as your mother?!"

I don't know which one is more infuriating.

Treat her as someone you like, or as a mother.

"No!" Bai Yuqing immediately denied, "It's really not."

"Hmph." Jiang Jinyue snorted coldly, "So you want to leave here?"

"I study hard just to get out of here."

I just missed it the first time because my father was sick.

"Hello."

"Um?"

"How about I support you?"

"Sponge...support?"

Bai Yuqing thought she had stopped thinking about this, so he saw her pursing her lips and explaining, "I'm the one who pays to support you."

Bai Yuqing suppressed a laugh, nodded thoughtfully, and then asked, "What about me? Is there anything I need to do?"

Many words flashed through Jiang Jinyue's mind, but in the end, he didn't say any of them. "No."

"No?"

"Yes, I can also take you out, out of this village."

"Then what?"

"To support you."